A killer driver who left for dead a beloved Fife organic gardener in a hit and run in Cowdenbeath has been jailed for almost five years.
Darren McPhee, 32, was speeding behind the wheel of a stolen Audi SQ5 with a fake registration plate when he hit Stephen Davis as he crossed the road.
The 46 year-old tragically never recovered having been struck on the A909 in his home town of Cowdenbeath last September 14.
McPhee failed to stop and sped away on the wrong side of the road.
He was caught two days later, while the Audi was eventually discovered “fully dismantled” at a recycling centre in Thornton.
McPhee – who already had a conviction for a road traffic offence – was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow to four years and eight months, having earlier pled guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Family devastation
Lord Scott said Mr Davis’ father and brother had penned moving impact statements describing the “emotional and psychological impact” of their loss.
The judge noted Mr Davis himself had lost his partner to cancer just months before he was killed.
The couple had run the community Cowdenbeath Market Garden project.
At the time of his death, Mr Davis’ family paid tribute to their “loving son, brother uncle and friend”.
Lord Scott said: “Clearly excessive speed was the key ingredient to what happened.”
He said McPhee would have been jailed for seven years but for the guilty plea.
He will also be banned from the road for eight years and four months after his release.
Travelling up to 66mph
CCTV was shown to the High Court in Edinburgh previously.
Prosecutor Gavin Anderson KC said: “As Mr Davis crossed the road, he initially walked and then began to run.
“This was apparently in response to seeing the approaching Audi.
“As he did so, he was struck by the vehicle. He was thrown into the air before coming to rest on the pavement.”
The court heard McPhee carried on, leaving stricken Mr Davis on the ground and witnesses desperately trying to save his life.
McPhee was found to have been driving at 42mph in a 30mph zone on impact but officers believed he was travelling at up to 66mph moments before the collision.
Because of the car’s destruction, investigators could not do a full study.
The court heard on Monday McPhee was said to be in a hurry that evening as he had got news a relative was sick.
John Scullion KC, defending, said McPhee stated he “lies awake at night replaying events” of what happened.
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